Down comforters don’t come cheap, which is why it’s important to do a little research before investing in your bedding. If you’ve already checked out popular direct-to-consumer brands like Parachute, Brooklinen, and Snowe, but you just can’t stomach dropping $300 to $400, take a look at Egyptian Bedding’s Goose Down Comforter. The comforter costs just a fraction of the price without compromising the quality of its fill, and that’s not an easy task. We picked up the queen size to test in our home in order to see just how well it fares against the competition. Keep reading for our insights.
Setup Process: Give it time to fluff
It seems silly to include a setup process section in a bedding review, but in the case of Egyptian Bedding’s Goose Down Comforter, it does require more attention than a typical duvet insert. The comforter is shipped in a box that seems impossibly tiny, but that’s because it’s also vacuum sealed in a bag. Once you break the seal to the bag, you’ll need to unfold it and lay it flat on your bed. In our experience, the comforter took a few hours to fully fluff up, but shaking it a bit helped expedite the process.
Material and Texture: Durable but cheap
Though Egyptian Bedding’s product description boasts that the comforter is constructed from luxurious 1200-thread-count Egyptian cotton, it’s not as soft as we hoped. The material proves stiff and crinkly with a slight roughness. All this isn’t to say it’s a total dud, though. Most people—us included—slip their down comforters into a duvet cover. If you’re willing to invest in a higher-quality cover, you likely won’t even notice. Lack of softness aside, the down is nice and fluffy. The feathers do tend to stick together a little bit, though, and after a week of sleeping with it, we found the down was quick to migrate. The point of baffle boxes—which this comforter features—are to keep the down evenly distributed. In this case, they don’t appear to be working effectively as the feathers still moved away from the walls of the boxes and towards the center of each sewed square. Fluffing it up as you make the bed will help, but it won’t totally remedy the issue. It’s odd to say a blanket is noisy, especially when said blanket is full of feathers, but Egyptian Bedding’s Goose Down Comforter is prone to crinkling. It was loud enough that we could hear our partner’s every move—as well as the shifting of our cat. If you’re a heavy sleeper, it may not bother you, though. Once we added a duvet cover, we found it wasn’t as loud.
Warmth: Best for fall and winter use
There’s no denying the warmth this comforter can provide. With 750 fill power, there’s a lot of down nestled in each puffy baffle box. While the weight is appreciated during chilly fall and winter months, it can be a little stifling. If you live in an area where temperatures remain above 40 degrees, it’s likely too thick for you. We live in Denver and we ended up shedding it in mid-fall when it was cool, but not cold enough for such heavy insulation.
Size: Limited options
Egyptian Bedding offers its goose down comforter in full/queen and king sizes which measure 90 x 90 inches and 108 x 94 inches respectively. If you’re shopping for a queen bed, like we were, we’d suggest sizing up to the king. If you’re sharing it with a partner, the full/queen is a bit tight width-wise.
Care: Don’t wash too often
Egyptian Bedding doesn’t mention specific care instructions in their listing, but the general rule of thumb is to not overwash your down comforter. Washing it too frequently can compromise the fluffiness of the down by compressing the feathers. While it should be washed every few months to protect against dust mites (you can throw it in the washing machine on delicate and then either tumble or air dry it), you can spot clean minor stains in between washes.
Price: Saves you some dough
Down comforters aren’t known for being affordable, so $150 a king-size option is quite the deal. If you’re looking for hotel-level quality, this obviously won’t fit the bill, but if you’re looking for a budget-friendly comforter that’s warm, fluffy, and designed to be slipped inside a duvet cover, this one will work perfectly.
Competition: A market full of direct-to-consumer brands
Snowe All-Season Down Comforter: If you’re willing to splurge on your down comforter Snowe is a high-end option. The brand’s uber-soft all-season comforter goes for twice the price of Egyptian Bedding’s, but it’s made with sustainable materials and features a cotton sateen shell and 750 fill power. There’s really no competition here, but you’ll have to check your budget before investing in Snowe. Buffy Cloud Comforter: Buffy is another big name in the direct-to-consumer bedding landscape. While many of its competitors’ down comforters go for $300 to $400, though, Buffy’s Cloud Comforter is just $160 for the full/queen size, putting it on par with Egyptian Bedding. The major difference is in the fill. Buffy’s comforter isn’t fluffed up with authentic down; instead, it uses recycled water bottles that somehow create an alternative down that’s just as soft and lofty. Additionally, the comforter’s shell is crafted from eucalyptus which requires 10 times less water to grow. If you’re opposed to feather down for ethical reasons or you’re allergic, this is a great option. This comforter won’t win any luxury bedding awards, but it’s warm, fluffy, and very affordable. If you’re looking for a comforter for your guest bedroom or one that’s for you but will be tucked into a duvet cover anyway, this will do just the trick.
